MLS 2018 Week 8

We've got a busy weekend in MLS, beginning with a lone game on Friday night in...

Kansas City, as Sporting hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Tim Melia protect the nets. Kansas City started in the tenth minute with a Johnny Russell goal, via Roger Espinoza and Graham Zusi. Sporting added on in the sixteenth minute with another Russell goal, coming off of Espinoza. Kansas City extended the lead as Jimmy Medranda scored in the thirtieth minute, thanks to Daniel Salloi. Kendall Waston of Vancouver had a yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute for a foul. In the fortieth minute, the Whitecaps went down to nine men with straight red cards for Yordy Reyna's violent conduct after application of VAR, as well as Efrain Juarez's foul and abusive language. Russell of Sporting also had a yellow card for a foul. Kansas City padded the lead in the forty-eighth minute as Russell completed his hat trick with the help of Matt Besler. Sporting continued with a Cristian Lobato goal in the fifty-fourth minute, guided in by Yohan Croizet. Kansas City iced it at 6-0 with a Croizet goal in the seventy-seventh minute, fueled by Ilie Sanchez. Russell was the obvious man of the match.

The first of eight games on Saturday sees the Montreal Impact welcome Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and Evan Bush man the nets. Montreal opened in the ninth minute with an Ignacio Piatti goal. Los Angeles goalie Miller took a yellow card for a fifteenth minute foul, leading the Impact to double the lead on a Piatti penalty kick goal. In the twenty-fourth minute, Los Angeles got on the board with a Laurent Ciman goal. Montreal's Piatti took a yellow card for a twenty-fifth minute dive. The Impact went down to ten men in the thirty-first minute as Victor Cabrera denied a goal scoring opportunity. Montreal added on in the forty-third minute with a Piatti goal, set up by Jukka Raitala to finish the hat trick. Los Angeles got one back in the fifty-second minute with a Benny Feilhaber goal, assisted by Marco Urena and Carlos Vela. Los Angeles tied it on an own goal by Raitala in the fifty-seventh minute. Los Angeles gained the lead with a Vela penalty kick goal in the eighty-third minute. Alejandro Silva of the Impact had a yellow card for an eighty-fourth minute foul. Los Angeles iced it at 5-3 with a Latif Blessing goal in the eighty-ninth minute. The man of the match was Piatti for his hat trick despite the loss.

Down in Houston, the Dynamo bring in Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Joe Willis are the veterans in goal. Houston led off in the third minute with a Mauro Manotas goal, assisted by Romell Quioto. The Dynamo added on in the seventh minute with a Leonardo goal. Mitchell Taintor of Toronto had a yellow card for his twenty-ninth minute foul. Houston extended the lead in the forty-sixth minute as Eric Alexander scored. Toronto got on the board with a Taintor goal in the fifty-second minute, set up by Ager Aketxe. The Dynamo replied in the sixtieth minute on an Alberth Elis goal, passed from Quioto. Houston padded the lead on a Quioto goal in the seventy-seventh minute, made possible by Alejandro Fuenmayor. Jordan Hamilton of Toronto received a yellow card for his seventy-ninth minute foul. The final remained at 5-1, with the man of the match being Quioto.

Back north, the New York Red Bulls host the Chicago Fire. Richard Sanchez and Luis Robles are set to start in goal. Chicago began in the thirtieth minute with an Aleksandar Katai goal. New York's keeper Robles had a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-eighth minute, leading the Fire to adding a Nemanja Nikolic penalty kick goal to their lead. The Red Bulls got one back on an eighty-first minute goal by Bradley Wright-Phillips. Mohammed Adams of Chicago had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final stood at 2-1, with Sanchez (nine for ten in saves) named man of the match.

West to Columbus, as the Crew SC welcome the New England Revolution. Matt Turner and Zack Steffen are between the posts. Columbus struck first in the ninth minute with an Andrew Farrell own goal. Claude Dielna of New England had a yellow card for his eleventh minute foul. The Revolution tied it on a Teal Bunbury goal in the fourteenth minute, set up by Cristian Penilla and Wilfried Zahibo. In the thirty-sixth minute, New England's Zahibo received a yellow card for a foul. The Crew took the lead back in the forty-third minute on a Gyasi Zardes goal, assisted by Federico Higuain and Pedro Santos. The Revolution tied it again in first half stoppage time with a Penilla goal, coming off of Juan Agudelo. In the sixtieth minute, New England had a yellow card for a Diego Fagundez foul. In the sixty-sixth minute, Higuain of Columbus took a yellow card for dissent. Gabriel Somi of the Revolution got booked on a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-seventh minute. In the eighty-eighth minute, New England's keeper Turner had a yellow card for time wasting. The final held at 2-2, with Penilla named man of the match.

In Florida, Orlando City SC brings in the San Jose Earthquakes. Andrew Tarbell and Joe Bendik are the gloved men. Orlando City kicked off the scoring in the second minute with a Chris Mueller goal, set up by Yoshimar Yotun. Orlando City added on in the thirty-fifth minute with a Sacha Kljestan goal, passed from Mueller and Yotun. Yotun took a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute foul for Orlando City. Orlando City extended the lead in the sixty-ninth minute as Dominic Dwyer scored, thanks to Justin Meram. San Jose saw a yellow card for dissent by Yefferson Quintana in the seventy-third minute. The Earthquakes got on the board with a Florian Jungwirth goal in the seventy-eighth minute. San Jose pulled closer in the ninetieth minute with a Jungwirth goal, made possible by Magnus Eriksson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the man of the match being Mueller.

West to Texas, as FC Dallas hosts the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Jimmy Maurer are set to start in goal. Dallas had a yellow card for a seventeenth minute foul by Jacori Hayes. Dallas got going in the sixty-fourth minute with a Mauro Diaz penalty kick goal. Dallas added on in the seventy-fourth minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal, via Roland Lamah. Philadelphia saw a yellow card for a Haris Medunjanin foul in stoppage time. The final was 2-0, with Lamah being the man of the match.

In the Rocky Mountain Derby, Real Salt Lake welcomes the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Nick Rimando tend the nets, but Howard was ejected for handling the ball outside of the box on a goal scoring opportunity for Colorado in the twentieth minute. Zac MacMath stepped in for the ten-man side in the twenty-second minute after warming up. The Rapids also saw a yellow card for a foul by Dominique Badji in the thirty-second minute. Salt Lake had a yellow card for a seventy-fifth minute foul by Nick Besler. Yannick Boli and Tommy Smith of Colorado saw yellow cards for fouls in the seventy-seventh and eighty-first minutes, respectively. Real dented the scoreboard in the eighty-second minute with a Joao Plata penalty kick goal. Salt Lake added on with a Damir Kreilach goal in the eighty-ninth minute, courtesy of Albert Rusnak. Bismark Boateng of the Rapids had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. A minute later, Real iced it at 3-0 with a Rusnak goal. Rusnak was named man of the match for his late heroics.

Saturday ends with the Los Angeles Galaxy bringing in Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and David Bingham protect the nets. Atlanta was first to score in the twenty-second minute with a Josef Martinez goal. Los Angeles saw yellow cards for fouls by Jorgen Skjelvik and Perry Kitchen in the twenty-fourth and twenty-ninth minutes, respectively. Atlanta had yellow cards for time wasting by Michael Parkhurst in the seventy-fifth minute and a foul by Miguel Almiron in the seventy-seventh minute. Servando Carrasco of the Galaxy took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-fifth minute. Romario Williams of Atlanta had a yellow card for not retreating in stoppage time. Atlanta iced it at 2-0 a minute later on an Almiron penalty kick goal. Martinez was the man of the match.

On Sunday, the Seattle Sounders FC host Minnesota United FC. Bobby Shuttleworth and Stefan Frei are the experienced keepers. Seattle opened in the twenty-third minute with a Gustav Svensson goal, set up by Cristian Roldan and Osvaldo Alonso. The Sounders added on with a Will Bruin goal in the twenty-fifth minute, assisted by Roldan and Nicolas Lodeiro. In the fifty-eighth minute, Seattle's Nouhou took a yellow card for time wasting. Minnesota got on the board in the sixty-sixth minute with a Christian Ramirez goal, via Darwin Quintero and Sam Nicholson. Kelvin Leerdam of the Sounders had a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-seventh minute. Seattle iced it at 3-1 with a Jordy Delem goal in stoppage time, coming off of Clint Dempsey. The man of the match was Roldan.

Finally, the Portland Timbers host New York City FC. Sean Johnson faces a lesser foe in Jeff Attinella in goal. Portland started in the twenty-sixth minute with a Sebastian Blanco goal, set up by Andres Flores and Alvas Powell. The Timbers added on in the thirty-eighth minute with a Fanendo Adi goal. Alexander Ring of New York City had a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-third minute. Portland extended the lead as Larrys Mabiala scored in the sixty-sixth minute, thanks to Diego Valeri. Alexander Callens of New York City took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final was 3-0, with Blanco named man of the match.

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